Thousands still without power as Douglas Electric releases more specific restoration estimates

The number of people without power in Douglas County hasn’t changed since Tuesday.

A week and a half after the biggest snowstorm in decades caused a system-wide outage, more than 4,700 people remain without power as of Wednesday morning, according to the Douglas Electric Cooperative online outage map.

But the utility has released more specific time estimates of when people should expect their power back.

The highest estimate is up to two and a half weeks in the Scottsburg and Upper Smith River areas, where Douglas Electric has three crews and nine trucks currently working to repair power lines and rebuild broken utility poles.

The estimate for Elkton and Curtain, where there are four crews and 12 trucks working, is up to two weeks.

In the Hogan Road, Umpqua and Tyee area, the estimate is up to one and a half weeks. Six crews and 18 trucks are working in the area.

The estimate in Scotts Valley, Elkhead, Tenmile, Melrose and Lookingglass is up to one more week. Eight crews and 24 trucks are working in the area.

Camas Valley can expect to have power back in the next day or two, according to Douglas Electric. Two crews and six trucks are working there.

The estimates represent general areas, and individual residences may not receive power for longer, the utility says.

Todd Munsey, spokesman for Douglas Electric, said the new time estimates show crews are moving in a positive direction.

He said Tuesday started optimistically.

“The best start to this day came when a linemen approached me about 5:30 this morning,” Munsey said in a Tuesday afternoon press release. “He had seen the timeframes on my ‘restoration forecast’ map, said, ‘Oh, we can do better than that.’ It’s not that we underestimate our crews, it’s just that it’s nice to be reminded how focused and efficient they are when building and repairing structures.”

Earlier in the week, Munsey said Douglas Electric has been concerned about supply availability, because utilities in other parts of Oregon that have been dealing with similar storm effects also continue to order equipment such as electrical wire and utility poles.

“We are receiving equipment and supplies daily from all over the northwest,” Munsey said Tuesday. “Our hope, since other utilities are also dealing with supply shortages after the storm, is that the flow continues. Having too many crews and not enough supplies would be a waste of important talent.”

Munsey acknowledged that people continuing to struggle with outages may “be anxious and frustrated, and that’s understandable.”

Max Egener can be reached at megener@nrtoday.com and 541-957-4217. Or follow him on Twitter @maxegener.

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